I don’t remember ever hearing it outright, but somehow when I was young I learned that truly spiritual people did not need or want money. There are lots of clichés about money:

Money is the root of all evil.

It is better to give than to receive.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be.

Money doesn’t grow on trees.

You can’t take it with you.

Money isn’t everything.

Money can’t buy happiness.

Some of these have truth in them, and some are, unfortunately, mis-quotes. For example, I have learned from a number of different sources that the first two quotes should really read, “The love of money is the root of all evil,” and, “It is better to be in a position to give than in a position where you need to receive.” Taken all together, the message I got was that money, or wealth, is bad.

It probably didn’t help that my family didn’t have a lot of money. My dad was always talking about this plan or that opportunity, but he never “made it” with any of them. Every once in a while, my father would tell me about how he could have made a lot of money with this or that, except for the thing that held him back. There is always an excuse.

Several years ago, I spent a lot of time attending courses and listening to audios and reading books about how to become successful or how to become wealthy. I learned a lot, but following in my father’s footsteps, I had a number of excuses and I did not apply what I have learned in my life. As easy as it might be to blame my parents, I don’t.

The courses I went to were great at motivating me while I was there in the room and surrounded by others who were just as hyped up as I was. Unfortunately, they didn’t offer an action plan to get me going or keep me motivated once I got home. They also did a very good job at appealing to my logic, but failed to engage my spirit. Once again, it sounds like I am blaming the courses for my lack of action, but please believe that I do not. I take full responsibility for my procrastination!

One course I went to at the end of October 2008 was different from the others. Instead of trying to teach methods of becoming wealthy, the point was to work on discovering the negative beliefs and conditioning we all have around money, and replace them with positive and supportive beliefs. I was amazed at the energy level of the room, and astounded at the depth of the work accomplished in a huge room of 450 people. The presenters managed to create and hold safe space for us to work in. I uncovered many of my own limiting beliefs and patterns.

Today, I understand and believe deep in my core that I am a child of the Divine. Since the Divine Spirit created everything in the Universe, and since I am a child of the Divine, everything in the Universe is my inheritance. It is my birthright, and yours! Each of us has come to this place and this time for a specific reason, and everything we need to accomplish our individual purposes has been provided for us. All we need to do is ask and be open to receiving.

In the Elements of Abundance class, we worked on changing our beliefs about money, our feelings about wealth, our actions to achieve our visions, and how we receive the abundance that is all around us. And even I have been amazed at the results the people in the class have been having!

I’ll be running another session in the late spring. Would you like to take part? I’m giving away a spot in my next Elements of Abundance course, and you could be the lucky winner! Just leave a comment below (on the blog, not on Facebook) letting me know why you would like to take the Elements of Abundance course. I’ll announce the lucky winner April 15th. Good luck!

I’ve been trying to track down the author to get permission to share this with you, with no luck. So I decided to share it anyway, and if the author has any objections, I will take it down. Until then, enjoy!

The Awakening

by Sonny Carroll

There comes a time in your life when you finally get it… When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out – ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world from a new perspective. This is your awakening.

You realize that it is time to stop hoping and waiting for something, or someone, to change or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that there aren’t always fairytale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you. Then a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

So you begin making your way through the “reality of today” rather than holding out for the “promise of tomorrow.” You realize that much of who you are, and the way you navigate through life is, in great part, a result of all the social conditioning you’ve received over the course of a lifetime. And you begin to sift through all the nonsense you were taught about:

how you should look and how much you should weigh

what you should wear and where you should shop

where you should live or what type of car your should drive

who you should sleep with and how you should behave

who you should marry and why you should stay

the importance of having children or what you owe your family

Slowly you begin to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really believe in. And you begin to discard the doctrines you have outgrown, or should never have practiced to begin with.

You accept the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are… and that’s OK… they are entitled to their own views and opinions. And, you come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a “perfect 10” Or a perfect human being for that matter. So you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head or agonizing over how you compare. And you take a long look at yourself in the mirror and you make a promise to give yourself the same unconditional love and support you give so freely to others. Then a sense of confidence is born of self-approval.

And, you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” hungry for your next fix, a new dress, another pair of shoes or looks of approval and admiration from family, friends or even strangers who pass by. Then you discover that “it is truly in giving that we receive and that the joy and abundance you seek grows out of the giving. And you recognize the importance of “creating” & “contributing” rather than “obtaining” & “accumulating.”

And you give thanks for the simple things you’ve been blessed with; things that millions of people upon the face of the earth can only dream about a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed and the freedom to pursue your own dreams.

And then you begin to love and to care for yourself. You stop engaging in self-destructive behaviors including participating in dysfunctional relationships. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and exercising. And because you’ve learned that fatigue drains the spirit and creates doubt and fear, you give yourself permission to rest. And just as food is fuel for the body, laughter is fuel for the spirit and so you make it a point to create time for play.

Then you learn about love and relationships, how to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away. And you allow only the hands of a lover who truly loves and respects you to glorify you with his touch. You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say, intentionally or unintentionally and that not everyone will always come through and interestingly enough, it’s not always about you. So, you stop lashing out and pointing fingers or looking to place blame for the things that were done to you or weren’t done for you. And you learn to keep your Ego in check and to acknowledge and redirect the destructive emotions it spawns; anger, jealousy and resentment.

You learn how to say I was wrong and to forgive people for their own human frailties. You learn to build bridges instead of walls and about the healing power of love as it is expressed through a kind word, a warm smile or a friendly gesture. And, at the same time, you eliminate any relationships that are hurtful or fail to uplift and edify you. You stop working so hard at smoothing things over and setting your needs aside. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK and that it is your right to want or expect certain things. And you learn the importance of communicating your needs with confidence and grace. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that eventually martyrs are burned at the stake. Then you learn to distinguish between guilt, and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. You learn that you don’t know all the answers, it’s not your job to save the world and that sometimes you just need to Let Go.

Moreover, you learn to look at people as they really are and not as you would want them to be, and you are careful not to project your neediness or insecurities onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be, more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name. You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love and relationships and that that not everyone can always love you the way you would want them to. So you stop appraising your worth by the measure of love you are given. And suddenly you realize that it’s wrong to demand that someone live their life or sacrifice their dreams just to serve your needs, ease your insecurities, or meet “your” standards and expectations. You learn that the only love worth giving and receiving is the love that is given freely without conditions or limitations. And you learn what it means to love. So you stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that “alone” does not mean “lonely” and you begin to discover the joy of spending time “with yourself” and “on yourself.” Then you discover the greatest and most fulfilling love you will ever know. Self Love. And so, it comes to pass that through understanding your heart heals; and now all new things are possible.

Moving along, you begin to avoid Toxic people and conversations. And you stop wasting time and energy rehashing your situation with family and friends. You learn that talk doesn’t change things and that unrequited wishes can only serve to keep you trapped in the past. So, you stop lamenting over what could or should have been and you make a decision to leave the past behind. Then you begin to invest your time and energy to affect positive change. You take a personal inventory of all your strengths and weaknesses and the areas you need to improve in order to move ahead. You set your goals and map out a plan of action to see things through.

You learn that life isn’t always fair and you don’t always get what you think you deserve and you stop personalizing every loss or disappointment. You learn to accept that sometimes bad things happen to good people and that these things are not an act of God… but merely a random act of fate.

And you stop looking for guarantees because you’ve learned that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected and that whatever happens, you’ll learn to deal with it. And you learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time FEAR itself. So you learn to step right into and through your fears because to give into fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. You learn that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophesy and you learn to go after what you want and not to squander your life living under a cloud of indecision or feelings of impending doom.

Then, YOU LEARN ABOUT MONEY… the personal power and independence it brings and the options it creates. And you recognize the necessity to create your own personal wealth. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart’s desire. Then a sense of power is born of self-reliance. And you live with honor and integrity because you know that these principles are not the outdated ideals of a by-gone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build your life. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting and to stay open to every wonderful opportunity and exciting possibility. Then you hang a wind chime outside your window to remind yourself what beauty there is in Simplicity.

Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you FAKE a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

A word about the Power of Prayer: In some of my darkest, most painful and frightening hours, I have prayed not for the answers to my prayers or for material things but for my “God” to help me find the strength, confidence and courage to persevere; to face each day and to do what I must do.

Remember this: “You are an expression of the almighty. The spirit of God resides within you and moves through you. Open your heart, speak to that spirit and it will heal and empower you.” My “God” has never failed me.

I just got back from my water aerobics class. This isn’t really big news, I know. But it is for me, because the pool was supposed to close for renovations last Friday.

Almost three weeks ago, I sat down with a couple of friends to set some goals for ourselves for the rest of the month. I introduced them to Raymond Aaron’s Monthly Mentor goal setting program. I don’t make any money from endorsing this program; I just believe it is an excellent system for making progress toward your goals.

I haven’t used it myself in quite some time. So it was good for me to introduce it to my friends, and have others to support and be supported by in moving forward. One of the goals I set for myself was to start going to water aerobics again. I set myself a goal of attending a minimum of two classes, a target of three classes, and my outrageous goal for myself was attending five classes. I thought I had three weeks to acheive this.

Then I found out that the pool was closing June 25th for maintenance and renovations. So I had only two weeks to acheive my goal! I made the comment several times that I was disappointed that just as I was getting back into going to the classes, the pool was closing and I would not be able to keep up the momentum I was creating for myself. I pushed myself in my schedule, and I managed to get to five classes in two weeks!

At class last Friday morning, it was announced that the pool would be open for four more weeks. The architect needed more time. The fitness schedule would be quite limited, but the deep water class I attend is on at the time I prefer to attend, and on the three days of the week I attend.

However indirectly, I told the Universe that I wanted to continue with water aerobics, and the Universe provided the opportunity for me!

This isn’t the only experience I have had of manifesting I have had recently, but it is one of the most obvious. What I observe about myself in this situation, is that I did not directly ask the Universe to keep the pool open. I took action, going to the deep water class at every opportunity in my schedule. I enjoyed the feeling of working out, and I expressed disappointment at the thought of not continuing.

I find I am often challenged in the manifestation process by not taking action, or by getting stuck in the feeling of what I don’t want. Or I manifest unconsciously. I don’t always consciously choose what I want to create in my life. Between The Peaceful Woman’s Inspired Living Coaching series, and getting back into utilizing the MAINLY goal setting system, I am working on becoming more conscious of being a co-creator of my life. I am creating my reality in alignment with my intentions and desires. I AM a powerful manifestor, and I am so grateful!

It’s tax time for many people, and so money is in our thoughts a lot right now. Money has been a big issue for me, and one of the things that I have been working to retrain my mind about in the last year and a half is that money is just another form of energy.

There are lots of cliches about money. Consciously or not, these cultural teaching affect how we interact with money. I have been working on my abundance mindset, and being in the flow of money, having it flow to me and through me effortlessly and abundantly.

The other morning, I found myself slipping back into some old thought patterns: I need more money for ______; How am I going to pay for _______; I still owe ______; etc.

Then I gave myself a mental shake. I recognized the old pathway my mind was travelling down, and I consciously stepped off of that old path.

“Wait a second!” I thought to myself. “I have just had an abundance of energy and money flow through me in the past couple of weeks!” Ok, it flowed through me, and went out just as fast as it came in, but I was in the flow. My bills are paid, and the money I needed for a couple of unplanned things (car repairs!) was there for me when I needed.

In that moment, my whole energy shifted. Instead of being worried and tense, I was relaxed and peaceful. Instead of being anxious, I felt extremely grateful. I am now aware that an experience I was looking for in my life is present, right here and right now, and it gives me the sustaining faith that I will continue to have this experience. I AM in the flow, and I AM manifesting abundance in my life!

To what do I credit the shift in consciousness? It started with the Millionaire Mind Intensive in October of 2008, which helped me to start changing my beliefs about money. This led to other courses and events with Peak Potentials, which helped me break through some of the fears that were holding me back and build a network of supportive, positive people who have goals and beliefs similar to mine. Then my husband and I attended CEO Space in May of 2009, which expanded my vision of what I am here to do in the world and led me to The Peaceful Woman. Most recently, I have been taking part in The Peaceful Woman’s Inspired Living Coaching Program, and that has helped me be aware of what I want to manifest, and become conscious of when I am manifesting those experiences into my life.

Here are a couple of the books I have read that have helped me create this positive change:

How many ways can I procrastinate? Oh, there are many! Just today, for example, I did laundry, and read email. Then I had a whole bunch of errands to run with my husband, since this is a day off for me and two of the boys were in school. One of the errands happened to be upgrading our old cell phones to iPhones, so then I played with that for a while, and entered all of my contacts from my other phone. There’s still a lot I want to learn about my new toy…but that’s another day’s procrastination!

After adding all the contacts, I then made dinner, and started watching a movie with the boys. Now, it’s bedtime, and see how one of the tasks I had set as a priority for myself is still not done.

When I was in University, I often joked about being the Queen of Procrastination and wearing the crown. I regularly left assignments to the last minute, writing papers the night before they were due, studying in the last hour before a big test, etc. Even now I leave planning for my spiritual circle until the night before, or even the day of. It’s not that I haven’t thought about what I am going to do. I just don’t get it out of my head and onto paper. This inevitably causes me extra anxiety and stress that I don’t need.

So why do I do it to myself? I know right now that I have another circle to plan, and it is less than two weeks away. I also know that I will need to write another blog post for next Monday. So why don’t I get started right now…after I finish this post, instead of putting it off until the eleventh hour?

In yet another diversionary tactic, I did a little research. One possible reason is impulsiveness and lack of self-control. Go for the instant gratification today instead of putting work before play. Hmm…yes, at times that does fit me. Like getting the iphone today instead of waiting until next week, or eating the last piece of chocolate instead of saving it for tomorrow.

Another reason some people procrastinate is that they are perfectionists, and they fear not achieving perfection. Guilty as charged. I come by my perfectionism honestly. My mother is also a perfectionist. I don’t consciously feel fear about not being perfect. In fact, there is a part of me that believes I already am perfect. That part gets drowned out sometimes by the nag that says I’m not, so I can see how this would affect me into procrastinating.

Not feeling passionate about what you are doing can also influence procrastination, since we tend to avoid doing things we dislike. That would totally explain why I leave the dishes until there are no clean ones left in the cupboard. (Thankfully, my husband has taken over that chore, and I am EXTREMELY grateful!)

All this is fine and dandy, but what can I do to reduce how often I wear the crown? First, I need to focus on the dream I am bringing to reality. Whenever I am not feeling motivated, remembering that I am working to bring my financial house into alignment with my purpose helps get me going again.

Second, I can break the big things down into smaller chunks. Sometimes I don’t start a task, because I don’t feel I have time to finish the whole thing. But if I break it down into bite size pieces, I can complete it little bits at a time, in those windows I have the rest of the week.

Third, I can schedule those windows of time for myself. Ahh, now here’s a challenge. Remember that instant gratification part? Time management is definitely and area I could improve in. Writing a to do list for each day and prioritizing the tasks may help me there. I could change my mindset and turn it into a fun thing: how can I use my new iphone to help me schedule my time better? I think I will go start entering tasks into my iphone calendar now…

This may not be headline news to some of you, and, superficially at least, it was not news to me. But it wasn’t until recently that I really understood and believed it.

I don’t remember ever hearing it outright, but somehow I learned that truly spiritual people did not need or want money. There are lots of clichés about money:

Money is the root of all evil.

It is better to give than to receive.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be.

Money doesn’t grow on trees.

You can’t take it with you.

Money isn’t everything.

Money can’t buy happiness.

Some of these have truth in them, and some are, unfortunately, mis-quotes. For example, I have learned from a number of different sources that the first two quotes should really read, “The love of money is the root of all evil,” and, “It is better to be in a position to give than in a position where you need to receive.” Taken together, the message I got was that money, or wealth, is bad.

It probably didn’t help that my family didn’t have a lot of money. My dad was always talking about this plan or that opportunity, but he never “made it” with any of them. Even now as I have been learning about wealth and success, my father will tell me about how he could have made a lot of money with this or that, except for the thing that held him back. There is always an excuse.

All through 2008, I was attending courses and listening to audios and reading books about how to become successful or how to become wealthy. I learned a lot, but following in my father’s footsteps, I have a number of excuses and I have not applied what I have learned in my life. As easy as it might be to blame my parents, I don’t.

The courses I went to were great at motivating me while I was there in the room and surrounded by others who were just as hyped up as I was. Unfortunately, they didn’t offer an action plan to get me going or keep me motivated once I got home. They also did a very good job at appealing to my logic, but failed to engage my spirit. Once again, it sounds like I am blaming the courses for my lack of action, but please believe that I do not. I take full responsibility for my procrastination!

One course I went to at the end of October 2008 was different from the others. Instead of trying to teach methods of becoming wealthy, the point was to work on discovering the negative beliefs and conditioning we all have around money, and replace them with positive and supportive beliefs. I was amazed at the energy level of the room, and astounded at the depth of the work accomplished in a huge room of 450 people. The presenters managed to created and hold safe space for us to work in. I uncovered many of my own limiting beliefs and patterns.

I finally understand and believe deep in my core that I am a child of the Divine. Since the Divine Spirit created everything in the Universe, and since I am a child of the Divine, everything in the Universe is my inheritance. It is my birthright, and yours! Each of us has come to this place and this time for a specific reason, and everything we need to accomplish our individual purposes has been provided for us. All we need to do is ask and be open to receiving.